The old man's surname was Sima and his name was Yu. He was the owner of the crescent jade stone and he was also a zither fanatic.

To craft a fine guqin, he traveled extensively across China, sourcing wood. The crescent-shaped jade stone, a legacy passed down from his ancestors, was incredibly spiritual. When Duan Xinning tumbled down the hillside, he stepped forward to rescue her. She, still somewhat conscious, clutched at him like a lifeline. It was then that she pulled the jade stone and dropped it into the grass, drawing a wisp of her soul into the stone.

Sima Yu was not passing by at the time, but was going to the mountain with his servants to look at the trees with the buyer. He asked his servants to drive the carriage to take Duan Xinning to the town adjacent to Baisha Town to find a doctor to treat her.

Duan Xinning ran away after waking up.

It was several days later when Sima Yu discovered the crescent jade was missing. He had even returned to the slope to look for it, but he didn't know if it had been picked up and sold to a pawnshop or what, but by chance, it was finally bought by Jian Ning. After burying his father, Ma Xiaomai, in order to support the families of the soldiers who died in battle, joined a group of soldiers in a street sale of various items. He didn't have much to sell, so he remembered Ding Youtian's calligraphy and took it out, claiming it was the work of the Southern Prime Minister's disciple and the current Shaofu.

Sima Yu really liked Ding Youtian's calligraphy, and secondly, because Ma Xiaomai and others were voluntarily providing relief to the families of soldiers who died in the battle, he voluntarily offered 10,000 taels of gold to purchase the calligraphy.

Unexpectedly, his good deed helped him recover his lost family heirloom jade.

"Since it belongs to the Master, it should be returned to its original owner. My wife bought it at a pawnshop in Baisha Town for only a few cents. Now I won't charge you a penny and will give it to you as it is." Ding Youtian presented the crescent jade with both hands and thanked him on behalf of Jian Ning for saving his life that day.

"According to the rules, since your wife bought it from a pawnshop, it should belong to you and Master Young Master. However, this item is an ancestral heirloom, so I have no choice but to accept it. But there is one thing. Master, if you send me this guqin, I will repair it for free. If you want to learn to play the guqin, just come and I will teach you everything I know, also for free. Please don't say anything more about this."

"Okay, I believe obedience is worse than respect. I'll take my leave today. I'll come back with my wife another day to thank you in person for saving my life!" When Ding Youtian returned home, Jian Ning woke up from a nap. He talked to Jian Ning about returning the jade to its original owner. Jian Ning then ordered people to prepare a generous gift, and that night he and Ding Youtian went to Sima Yu's house to thank him.

On the day when Qiaofeng returned home for the third time, the Ding Mansion was bustling with activity again. The Prince of Pingnan and his wife, Concubine Li, the old Grand Tutor and his wife, as well as Yang Jinyu's parents and Fei Zitong's parents were all there.

Jian Ning and Ding Youtian personally invited Sima Yu and his family. Lao Liu even closed the shop for a day and brought his cook, Zhao Chuqi, and the kitchen staff to help out. Lao Liu and Tian Xiaoyu, both now literate, told Jian Ning that Mr. Zhang, owner of the Lai Fu Restaurant in Baisha Town, had written to him, asking him to help find a new location for the restaurant in Beijing.

When Ding Youtian found out, he advised him, "Please pay attention and find him a shop. He treated you well in the past."

"Fourth brother is right. Even if fourth brother didn't tell me, I would still pay attention to it." Lao Liu and Tian Xiaoyu are now on track in their business. They are both very knowledgeable and adept at dealing with people. They are no longer as stiff and lacking in confidence as when they first arrived in Jin County to open a restaurant.

Half a month later, Jian Ning's pregnant belly had become more visible. Ding Yang's family, along with Ding Zhu and her son, arrived in the capital. Two months later, Qin Yifan and Zhang Mazi's family also arrived.

Most of the official residences in the capital were located southeast along Chang'an Avenue, making travel between them very convenient. The residence granted to the Qin family by the emperor was only a block and a half away from Jian Ning. Mei Niang simply assumed that Jian Ning was pregnant for the fourth time and was truly delighted for her. After settling into the residence, she rode her carriage to Jian Ning's house for several days to chat. One day, Jian Ning asked her if she would be willing to leave the rear courtyard and manage the winery.

Mei Niang was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Sister, you've become the first female general of our dynasty. To be honest, I'd be kidding if I didn't feel a bit envious or jealous. Sister has set a good example for women all over the world, but I can't compare to her. Even if my husband agrees to let me go, I'm afraid my father-in-law might not agree. I have to go back and ask my father-in-law for permission, and he'll give his approval before I can go."

"Of course. Go back and ask and I'll wait for your reply. Master Sima's eldest daughter-in-law is also very capable. Coincidentally, she's the one Aunt Huo recommended to me. She and Sister Tian are now running the winery. Like the men, she receives a monthly salary from the court. She's humble yet very respectful of the rules. She's a capable woman. If you go there, you'll definitely get along well with her."

"I never dared to think of this before, but now the women in our backyard can receive the same monthly salary as the men. I am really tempted." Mei Niang was really moved. She told Qin Yifan about it when she got home. Qin Yifan had no objection and went with her to ask Old Qin for instructions.

Old Qin didn't agree, but he didn't object either. He just had a gloomy face and didn't say anything.

A few days later, he expressed his opinion at the dinner table. He did not agree with Mei Niang showing up in public because he had inquired privately and found that most of the women who left the rear house under Jian Ning's influence were women from merchant families, and apart from Jian Ning and Princess Wu, there were no other family members of officials in the court.

The vast majority of people still believe that women are the source of trouble and should stay in the backyard to take care of their husbands and children. They believe that if all women in the world go out of the backyard, it will not only corrupt the atmosphere, but will also inevitably cause chaos.

Several court officials jointly submitted a petition, requesting that Emperor Yongkang issue an edict prohibiting women from holding positions in the six ministries. The emperor simply wished there were more women like Jian Ning, capable of managing a household and commanding troops abroad. The empress dowager supported the idea, but many other court officials opposed it. Ultimately, Emperor Yongkang compromised, neither supporting nor opposing it.

Jian Ning knew that a thousand years of feudal ideology wouldn't be easily broken overnight. So she wasn't in a hurry. She just focused on taking care of her baby, only visiting the winery and fruit paste shop every five or six days.

"Madam." Ding Youtian touched Jian Ning's belly after going to bed that day and said to her with a smile: "I have thought of another name for the child. Look, my name is Youtian..."

"There is a place, right?" Jian Ning gave out the name before he could finish. "Stop it, if you can't name it, I will give it to my son myself, or ask my father to choose it. I will never allow you to give my son a name that you gave to a fox!"

"How can a father be named Youtian and a son be named Youdi? You are a junior tutor, but you can't even pick a proper external name."

Jian Ning rolled her eyes at him.

"You underestimate your husband too much. You should always let others finish speaking before refuting me. Did I name our child Youdi?" Ding Youtian sneered heavily, then pulled a corner of the quilt over himself, turned his back and gave Jian Ning a cold slap on the back.